yes
Definitely take your boat. Anything that surfs well in the river should also do well in the ocean. Larger boats are a plus I've found (I'm enjoying my EZ over the S6X), especially when paddling out to the line up. Like Adam said though, you gotta look out for breaking waves when paddling out. Try to get past the wave before it breaks or slow down & give the pile a second to settle. Timing is EVERYTHING when paddling a ww kayak out into the surf. Waves that break on you or just in front of you are a pain. If you know you're going to get hammered by a wave that just broke, try leaning forward and catching it for a short back surf. I've found this works better than trying to paddle through it & getting creamed. And good point on the helmet. Definitely wear it even if the surfers look at you like your a kook. It helps. Have fun!
Gotta give a shout out to Aqua Adventures here in San Diego. They've got good surf boats (not sit on top) and have been very helpful in finding the best surf out here.
Ben- check the spelling on your signature. It's tomorrow...